“It's an emotional roller coaster… But sometimes it's fucking awesome”: Meaning and motivation of work for peers in overdose response environments in British Columbia

“Running myself ragged”: stressors faced by peer workers in overdose response settings

“…A growing body of evidence indicates that peer workerled programs are successful in creating "safe spaces" for PWUD [12,14,[18][19][20][21] and help to reduce harmful health behaviours such as sharing substance use supplies and unsafe sex practices [22,23]. Peer-led programs also improve program accessibility and acceptability [10], help in building connections and trust [24], facilitate environments of comfort and safety for service users [12,13], and are associated with mental health benefits for PWUD [25]. Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals with lived/living experience of substance use are leading the harm reduction movement in meaningful ways, successfully reducing the harms associated with drug use and structural violence [12,13,20,26,27].…”

"Running myself ragged": Stressors Faced by Peer Workers in Overdose Response Settings

“…In fact, our ndings indicate that the majority of participants take pride in their work and have happy thoughts about those they could help. As discussed in another paper, these feelings seem to be driven by a genuine desire to care for others and the family-like bond they share with PWUD; helping others allows peer workers ascribe meaning to their lives and gives them a sense of purpose [24]. Thus, the meaning peer workers derive from their work continues to motivate them despite frequent hardships, stress, and loss that accompany overdose response work [24].…”

“…The purpose of the focus groups was to identify the bene cial aspects as well as the stressors and challenges faced by peer workers in their jobs, and explore their needs for support. The bene cial aspects of their work are reported elsewhere [24]. Conversations were directed by a semi-structured focus group guide, which was developed based on the research objectives, preliminary discussions with PRAs and literature review.…”

“…A growing body of evidence indicates that peer worker-led programs are successful in creating "safe spaces" for PWUD [12,14,[18][19][20][21] and help to reduce harmful health behaviors such as sharing substance use supplies and unsafe sex practices [22,23]. Peer-led programs also improve program accessibility and acceptability [10], help in building connections and trust [24], facilitate environments of comfort and safety for service users [12,13], and are associated with mental health bene ts for PWUD [25]. Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals with lived/ living experience of substance use are leading the harm reduction movement in meaningful ways, successfully reducing the harms associated with drug use and structural violence [12,13,20,26,27].…”

“…There are bene ts and challenges associated with work for peer workers in overdose response settings [24]. While work can provide peer workers with a sense of purpose and an opportunity to inspire others and contribute to their community, exposure to ongoing loss and trauma may be particularly stressful, as the individuals they support are often close friends or people they consider family [24]. Peer workers not only work in a stressful environment, but often live the same reality too [32][33][34].…”